| First Author | Bosco N | Year | 2006 |
| Journal | J Immunol | Volume | 177 |
| Issue | 8 | Pages | 5014-23 |
| PubMed ID | 17015684 | Mgi Jnum | J:139457 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3808089 | Doi | 10.4049/jimmunol.177.8.5014 |
| Citation | Bosco N, et al. (2006) Peripheral T cell lymphopenia and concomitant enrichment in naturally arising regulatory T cells: the case of the pre-Talpha gene-deleted mouse. J Immunol 177(8):5014-23 |
| abstractText | In pre-Talpha (pTalpha) gene-deleted mice, the positively selectable CD4+ CD8+ double-positive thymocyte pool is only 1% that in wild-type mice. Consequently, their peripheral T cell compartment is severely lymphopenic with a concomitant increase in proportion of CD25+ FoxP3+ regulatory T cells. Using mixed bone marrow chimeras, where thymic output was 1% normal, the pTalpha(-/-) peripheral T cell phenotype could be reproduced with normal cells. In the pTalpha(-/-) thymus and peripheral lymphoid organs, FoxP3+ CD4+ cells were enriched. Parabiosis experiments showed that many pTalpha(-/-) CD4+ single-positive thymocytes represented recirculating peripheral T cells. Therefore, the enrichment of FoxP3+ CD4+ single-positive thymocytes was not solely due to increased thymic production. Thus, the pTalpha(-/-) mouse serves as a model system with which to study the consequences of chronic decreased thymic T cell production on the physiology of the peripheral T cell compartment. |
